Thanksgiving is coming, which means Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner. But with the pandemic still in the air, will Cyber Monday become more preferred than Black Friday?

A total of 117 students participated in a poll concerning which event they were looking forward to more this year, Cyber Monday or Black Friday. 56% of the students that participated preferred Cyber Monday over Black Friday. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if companies implemented social distancing guidelines because of the pandemic,” sophomore Kyle Kopko said.

Naturally, with the pandemic, things will be different. Black Friday is known to have flocks of people going into stores, but this year it will be required that all shoppers wear face masks while also social distancing to prevent any incidents. 

However, many larger retailers like Walmart, Costco, Target, Ulta, and many more will be closed on Thanksgiving Day itself, reasoning that with bigger crowds come bigger risks. Sales will go from Monday to Friday throughout the Thanksgiving week. 

“This year, I’ll be buying stuff online for Black Friday,” senior Diana Aguilera said. “It’s not as fun as going to an actual store, but it’s safer… I’m still looking forward to Black Friday so I can see the great deals that stores have.”

Other retailers like Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart will be holding Cyber Monday sales throughout Thanksgiving week and into the Cyber Week. 

“I prefer Cyber Monday because I feel like it’s less chaotic,” junior Katelyn Lehmbeck said. “You see tons of people on the news running into stores, and sometimes even fights break out.” 

Whether it’s because of the crowds or because of COVID, students seem to find Cyber Monday more convenient because they would be able to find things easier without the hassle of looking for what they need in a larger store. 

“Amazon has great deals and I don’t have to wait outside of a store all night long,” senior Will Snuggs said. Some students reported that their sleep schedules were obstructed after staying up all night from the frenzy. 

“Last year I went to Black Friday shopping and stayed up all night,” Snuggs said. ”I completely messed up my sleep schedule.”

Amazon will be putting out deals on Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and keeping the sale going for the week after Thanksgiving. Amazon will be offering deals on Beats headphones, Sony TVs, Robot vacuums, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and many more products. 

On the other hand, some students preferred Black Friday over Cyber Monday. Students mentioned the “thrill” they get with being able to walk around and find the things that they want in person. 

“I like the thrill of the find and being able to see the sizes and quality of stuff in person, plus it’s a tradition,” senior Taylor Hafer said. 

“Black Friday is better than Cyber Monday this year, even with the pandemic, because I don’t get as much excitement on Cyber Monday,” Kopko said.

“I will definitely avoid large crowds, maintain social distancing and wear a mask,” sophomore Sonia Sadani said. 

Whether it’s Black Friday or Cyber Monday, not much will be changing other than the restrictions that come with a volatile pandemic, but the deals might still be just as great as the other years. 

“When you go to stores, you see so many people running around to buy stuff and it’s pretty exciting,” Aguilera said. “I’m still looking forward to Black Friday so I can see the great deals that the stores have.”